Black is the Color
by saichick-Anna-Erishkigal
Summary: Tony is surprised to learn the lyrics of the tune Pepper keeps humming


Story: Black is the color  
Author: saichick  
Challenge: Pepperony 100  
Theme: 004 - Black  
Rating: NC-17

Preview: Tony is surprised to learn the lyrics of the tune Pepper keeps humming.

Link to song: .com/watch

Tony Stark paused at the sound of Pepper contentedly humming when he reached the top of the staircase. Pepper was rummaging through his closet, as she often did when she was trying to shove him out the door to an important meeting, laying out an appropriate suit and tie for him to wear. She had come down into his "Stark cave" half an hour ago to remind him he was late and was trying to move him along. With work coming along so rapidly on the Mach 2 prototype and strict orders from Obediah to "lay low," Tony rarely came out of his workshop except to shower these days. But ... he _wanted _to explore a power purchase agreement for energy generated from his arc reactor technology, so he would comply. He found it a bit odd that, instead of being annoyed at his tardiness as she would have been before his capture, Pepper had become quite patient with him lately. She seemed ... happy.

His heart skipped a beat as he watched her rub the collar of the shirt she was laying out on the bed between her thumb and forefinger and then caress her cheek with his red silk tie. The tune was beautiful, yet haunting. He stepped back from the door so she wouldn't see him and hissed at JARVIS "quiet mode ... don't tell her I'm here!"

The suit laid out, Pepper then proceeded to pick up the greasy wifebeater he had carelessly tossed on the floor last night. Pepper paused humming long enough to raise the dirty undershirt to her nose and sniff, but instead of grimacing as most people would do when confronted with a mixture of sweat and motor oil, Pepper smiled and hugged the dirty shirt to her chest, nestling her cheek into it the way someone might hold a cat. Tony's heart skipped a beat seeing the dreamy expression in her eyes. He watched as, resuming the haunting melody, she held onto the shirt while unceremoniously proceeding to deposit yesterdays dirty underwear and socks into the hamper. He stood there transfixed as she nestled her cheek into the shirt one last time, closed her eyes, and inhaled before relinquishing it to the hamper. A peculiar sensation tingled through his body, not quite arousal, but something else. He realized that for just one moment, he had forgotten to breathe.

"Ahem," he finally coughed, giving Pepper a chance to compose herself before walking into the room.

"Mr. Stark," she stammered as though caught with her hand in a candy jar. He enjoyed watching a flush of roses spread across her cheeks and chest. "Your ... suit is ready for the meeting, sir. I'll go downstairs and tell Hogan you'll be ready to leave in 20 minutes."

"Make that forty-five. I need to shower first. I'm covered in grease," he stated, looking intently into her deep blue eyes and inhaling sharply at the expression he saw there. He watched a parade of naked emotions momentarily cross her face before she composed herself into her bulletproof "Miss Potts" expression.

"Yes, Mr. Stark. Forty-five minutes it is."

A smile twitched at the corner of his lips and spread up into his eyes as he reached out to touch her collar and teased, "you might want to change your blouse. Somehow you've managed to get engine grease on your collar."

Pepper's eyes widened as she stammered, "y-yes, Mr. Stark, thank you." Pepper poised to take flight like a bird trapped in the cage under the heat of his intense stare as her already-flushed cheeks changed from rose-pink to a deep pomengranite. "Will that be all, Mr. Stark?"

"Yes, Miss Potts, that will be all," he teased, smiling. If there was anything in the world he loved more than working on his favorite hot rod, it was teasing Pepper Potts.

Just as she was about to exit his doorway, he asked, "Pepper, what was that tune you were humming? I've never heard it before."

The trapped bird look momentarily returned before the prim Miss Potts expression regained control and matter-of-factly stated, "oh, it's just some old tune my grandmother used to sing." Pepper bolted out the door before he could interrogate her further.

As Tony disrobed and stepped into the steaming shower, he asked, "JARVIS, what was that tune Miss Potts was humming earlier?"

"I'll search my database, sir," JARVIS stated. A moment later, JARVIS continued, "sir, the song Miss Potts was singing is an old folk song called "Black is the color." It dates back to 16th century Scotland."

"Miss Potts grandmother was from Scotland, wasn't she?" Tony asked.

"Yes, Mr. Stark, many of Peppers relatives originate from Scotland," confirmed JARVIS.

"Must be where she gets the red hair." Tony commented to himself. "JARVIS, could you please play it in the shower for me?"

"Yes, sir," JARVIS replied. "Would you like a modern rendition of the song, or a traditional version similar to the one Miss Potts was singing?"

"Pick one that sounds closest to what Pepper was singing," he ordered.

Tony paused, rubbing shampoo into his hair as the sultry voice of Joan Baez sang the haunting lyrics:

_Black, black, black, is the color  
of my true love's hair  
His kiss is something wondrous fair  
The purest smile, and the bravest hands  
I love the ground on which he stands_

_I love, my love, and well he knows  
I love the ground on which he goes  
And if my love, no more I see  
My life will quickly fade away  
Black, black, black, is the color  
of my true love's hair._

As the song continued, he momentarily closed his eyes and allowed the shower jets to massage the shampoo out of his hair. With a start, he recognized his own dark brown hair, jet-black with water, reflected in the mirrored glass of the shower door. As he ran the hot soapy washcloth over his body, he closed his eyes and imagined the shower jets were Pepper nuzzling her cheek into his chest the way she had nuzzled his dirty old shirt, caressing his cheek the way she had caressed his silken tie, quivering under his touch like a flighty thoroughbred straining at the starting gate before the starters pistol went off. With a groan, he realized he had developed an erection, along with a strong urge to drag Pepper back into his bedroom (and not to lay out his stinkin' suit, either!)

"Mr. Stark, Miss Potts has called up to remind you forty-five minutes has passed," stated the cold, mechanical voice of JARVIS like a bucket of cold water. "Hogan is at the front door with the car."

"Damn," Tony muttered under his breath, the pleasant image of Pepper shattered. "JARVIS, change the water temperature to 50 degrees. I need a cold shower."

Momentarily dressed, Tony fondled the red silk tie, remembering the sight of Pepper caressing her cheek with it singing ancient songs of her dark-haired love. He walked downstairs with it in his hand, calling her name. "Pepper, could you please help me with this tie?"

Pepper, who had by now recomposed herself into her sternest Miss Potts expression, stated very professionally, "of course, Mr. Stark." Although she avoided his intense gaze, he noticed her hands lingered a bit long at the back of his neck as she tucked the tie under his collar, smoothing a few wet, stray hairs back into place, and lingered on his chest longer than was really necessary as she tucked the tie into his Armani suit. The curious electric tingling returned to his body, not arousal, but something else. For just one moment, Pepper met his gaze and sharply inhaled before locking her expression back into that confounded Miss Potts mask she wore to keep him at bay. "You'd best be going ... you're already nearly an hour late."

Just then Hogan came in the front door and inquired, "do you have any bags needing to be put in the car, sir?"

"No, Hogan, just my briefcase," Tony signed as he reluctantly broke his proximity to Pepper and followed Hogan out to the car. "Pepper, I'll see you later."

As the he settled into his seat, Hogan asked, "would you like your usual music mix, sir?"

"No thank you, Hogan. Have JARVIS upload the song I was listening to earlier."

Tony sank into the comfortable leather of the Bentley and absent-mindedly fondled the same place on his collar Pepper had fondled earlier as he hummed along with the warbly voice of Joan Baez singing, "black, black, black, is the color, of my true loves hair..."

Tags: rating-nc17, theme-004black


End file.
